The Trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey Is Here

E.L. James’ 2011 novel Fifty Shades of Grey, the first in her “bondage drama” trilogy, became an instant worldwide phenomenon that topped Harry Potter as the fastest-selling paperback ever. The trailer for the much anticipated film version premiered on the Today Show this morning. It moves through the story quickly: Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a young, timid journalist, sets out to interview Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), a wealthy, brooding businessman, whom Steele describes to her roommate in a voiceover as “polite, intense, smart, and really intimidating.”

Grey turns things around—“I’d like to know more about you,” he says—and the sexual tension escalates. A sultry version of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” scores scenes of passionate kissing, lots of face touching, and suggestive bedroom fare. Finally, Grey gets to the point: “I don’t do romance,” he warns. “My tastes are very singular. You wouldn’t understand.” To which a curious Steele begs him to “enlighten me, then” and we’re shown a brief taste of the novel’s BDSM: whips, chains, blindfolds, etc. For morning television, it’s about as carnal as it gets.

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